Moment
by serabi
Summary: Kaoru spends a day alone in the riverbank only to meet an old,gentle man and tells him her fraustrations and hopes.ONESHOT Revised. With spoilers


Aunthor's note: This is just a repost of the original one I made.Thereare revisions on the grammar and spelling of this story. Thanks for my reviewers for pointing it out. It helps a lot. Hope you like this story. My first story ever made (Yipee me!)

Disclaimer: I don't own Rorouni Kenshin. (Watsuki-sanowns this awesome manga)

The weather was so beautiful that day.

The sun was shining brightly but was partially covered by the constantly moving clouds; clouds that showcased different formations brought on by the wind. The wind's gentle breeze swayed the leaves of the trees that gave off soothing sounds each time the leaves rubbed against each other.

The birds perched on top of the trees serenaded the passers-by and the lone female seeking shelter under one of the big trees on the riverbank. The river's tranquil water, occasionally moving caused by the winds, gave peace to the blue-eyed, raven-haired girl watching it.

Kaoru, sitting under the big tree, watched a couple of birds flying and playing with each other. This scene brought a smile to the young woman's sober features. Kaoru had been sitting under the enormous tree for a while, thinking of her relationship with her ex-rorouni samurai.

She knew, rather than felt Kenshin would not be wandering again. She felt it when she welcomed him home and held his hand in front of the dojo after they arrived from Kyoto. Her feeling on this matter intensified a couple of months ago since her rescue from Enishi's island.

These two events that almost tore them apart contributed to her ever-growing affection to Kenshin. She now wanted more than anything else to be with Kenshin, to help him on his journey and to give him the happiness he was once deprived of but so richly deserved.

She'd been thinking intently about this that she had not noticed the old man standing a few feet away from her, staring at her back. She was pulled out of her reverie when she heard a soft cough behind her.

Kaoru looked behind her to see an old man, with tied gray hair, eyeglasses and old shabby clothes protecting his body. He smiled at her and somehow that smile warmed her heart. She knew that he was a man she could trust based solely on his smile.

She smiled back at him when he asked her, "Do you mind if I join your solitude on this wonderful day?"

"No not at all." Kaoru replied with a smile. She moved a little aside to give space to the old man. "Come sit beside me." She patted the space she previously occupied.

"Are you sure young lady? I think I stink a little," he said while smelling the sleeve of his worn out gi.

Kaoru laughed out loud at what the old man said. _He's right. He does smell, _Kaoru said to herself but she didn't mind at all. "I didn't invite you to sit beside me just to smell you, right?" Kaoru wittingly replied. "I could use some company. It's getting a little lonely here."

The old man sat beside her and was quiet for a while. "What brings you here, alone and somewhat lonely in this fine sunny day?" he asked Kaoru.

"I live in a dojo near this river. As you said, this is a fine day and I don't want to waste it inside the dojo alone. I thought I'd spend sometime here. The people I live with are out on an errand so I'm alone today." she explained.

"What's occupying that beautiful head of yours?" he asked again. "Or should I ask, _who's_ the lucky person occupying that head of yours?"

Kaoru was silent for a moment thinking of Kenshin. A wistful expression graced her face. This did not escape the observant eyes of the old man. Kaoru was about to answer him when a flower caught her attention. It was a beautiful violet flower surrounded by other wild flowers. That flower reminded Kaoru of Kenshin's gentle, violet eyes.

The old man noticed Kaoru's sudden silence and looked at what distracted his beautiful companion's attention. He noticed she was looking intently at a certain flower with longing in her blue eyes. _Violet flower it is, _the old man thought to himself.

"That violet one reminds you of him," he said matter of factly.

Kaoru was surprised by the old man's statement then asked, " What makes you think I'm thinking of a man right now? I was looking at a flower, I could've been thinking of my mother, or my room…" Kaoru was about to say more when the old man cut her off.

"Because of the longing that is clearly written in your eyes," he said. "Why?"

This time Kaoru didn't pretend anymore when she answered his question. She needed someone to talk to anyway. She probably wouldn't see this old man again so she decided to tell him and unburden to him what was on her mind and heart.

"I've been in love with this man for I don't know how long," Kaoru started. "I don't know how it happened, I just suddenly found myself wanting to be with him always. The idea of him ever leaving scares me to the very core of my being," she continued while looking at the violet flower again.

"The first time I found out he was planning to leave, I panicked. I ran after him and made him promise that he'd come back. I even gave him my blue ribbon so he'd have a reason to come back. But something happened, something awful almost happened that night. He may have not mentioned it again, but I knew that event left a mark on him."

She looked back at the old man and gave him a little smile. "He didn't mention it again. He's always like that keeping things to himself, carrying everything alone," she said with sadness surrounding her voice.

"But you know…" This time despair enveloped her and she didn't hide it at all. "The second time he left & finally said goodbye to go somewhere else, I broke down. It felt like my heart had been shattered into pieces. It seemed as if my life had stopped revolving, I thought I stopped breathing when he let go of me and walked alone. I never wanted to feel that again. I never wanted to see his back walking away from me. Probably he never found out about it. I didn't want him to find it out though. He'd probably think I'm weak." A little laugh escaped her lips when she said this.

"He came back to us again, though. I welcomed him home." She smiled while reminiscing that time of her life. "I wanted him to feel that he deserved a home, a family to support him, to love him. I didn't want him to be lonely again." She looked at the flower again.

"For a while then he seemed content and at peace. Then someone from his past came back. That person opened old wounds and brought back old, hurtful memories. I knew that he again wanted to carry this burden alone but I was glad that this time he shared it with me and with our friends. I found out how broken he really was, not physically but spiritually and emotionally." This time Kaoru looked away from the flower and instead closed her eyes while recalling this rather painful event.

"You see, my friend, he lost someone very dear and very important to him. He lost his wife, the woman he loved for a short period of time. That woman showed him a glimpse of what it was like to live a normal life and be happy. He was happy but only for a short period of time. That happiness was snatched away from him because of a terrible accident that caused his wife's life. From then on, he moved on and started helping people in need. He was atoning and is still atoning for his sins." A single tear slid down her cheek; she immediately wiped it away and continued her story.

"This man who came back didn't know that. He was so consumed by his hatred that he failed to see other things. He wanted my friend to suffer; he didn't see that my friend had been suffering for almost half of his life.

"They fought so hard. No one won that fight, but both gained something from it. My friend found out the answer he had been seeking for and the man found out he had been living in the darkness most of his life and that he had lost his way and his guide in the process."

"And then what happened after that?" the old man urged Kaoru to continue when she stopped her story. "Why has that story brought you here alone and lonely?" he persisted when she kept quiet.

"He found his answer but he was still lonely." Kaoru whispered. "I wanted him to be happy. I wanted to be the one to make him happy, possibly happier than he was when his wife was still alive. But… I don't know…" she sighed.

" I wanted to tell him I love him and that if he'd let me, I'd hold him when he's lonely. I wanted to help him heal, I just wanted to love him and to make him the happiest man alive because he deserves it. He thinks he doesn't but he does. He really does."

"Then why don't you tell him?" the old man asked Kaoru. "What's stopping you?"

"He's not yet ready. He's still holding a part of himself away from me." Kaoru leaned her head on the tree and closed her eyes. "But I'm willing to wait no matter how long it takes. I'll wait. I know in my heart he's worth it. And when he's ready…" she trailed off whatever she was going say but said to herself instead, _he'll tell me he loves me, I hope._

Kaoru didn't open her eyes; thus she didn't see when the old man looked meaningfully behind him. With her eyes still closed, she asked the old man. "Do you have any place to stay for tonight?" Kaoru did not notice the surprise look on the old man's face. "There are empty rooms in the dojo, you can stay there for tonight." She said.

"I'm a stranger. Why did you ask me to stay at the dojo?" he asked instead. "I could be dangerous."

"No you're not." Kaoru replied while yawning. "Because if you are, you could've pounced on me when I didn't notice you behind me… but instead you listened to a woman's heart problems."

"Thank you miss. You don't know how happy you made me by the invitation. Don't worry too much. This guy you've been talking about, I know he loves you. He probably is just waiting for the right moment to tell you.

"Probably he's also waiting for you to be ready also because based on what I've heard from you, you've been on an emotional journey yourself. You've shown strength at your age for having been through all that, and that is a feat in itself, " he advised her, albeit unsolicited.

"I hope you're right mister. I wish to the gods that you're right." With that last statement Kaoru fell asleep.

The old man stayed for a while before standing and walking away. "You've got yourself a wonderful and lovely woman. Don't let her go." The old man said without looking back. "And don't make her wait too long. She deserves to know how much you love her."

" I don't intend to make her wait long. She's waited long enough." Kenshin told the old man, then looked at Kaoru. "I know I don't deserve her but I'm glad she chose me and thinks that I deserve to be the happiest in this world.

"Mister," Kenshin said, stopping the old man from walking away. "Thank you."

"For what?" This time the old man looked back at Kenshin.

"For that time at Rakuninmura. For helping me see through things. For that and for this time as well." Kenshin replied with a smile.

"Don't mention it," the old man humbly said. "I'm surprised you recognize me."

"Your voice, I recognized it," Kenshin replied. "May I ask for your name?"

"You may call me Oibore." With that Oibore walked away, leaving Kenshin and Kaoru by the riverbank.

Kaoru awakened with her head leaning on a shoulder. "Kenshin?" she said sleepily.

"Hai Kaoru, it's me." Kenshin softly answered.

Kaoru was too sleepy to notice that Kenshin has dropped the honorific off her name. "Hmm… I fell asleep. When did you arrive? Did you see the old man with me?" she asked while rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Yes I saw him watching over you." Kenshin didn't think it was best to tell Kaoru that he arrived when she was about to tell Oibore their story. "He was waiting for you to wake up or for someone to fetch you. He couldn't let you sleep alone outside."

"How sweet!" Kaoru exclaimed. Kaoru leaned her head back on Kenshin's shoulder before asking, "Can we stay here a little while before we head back home? Yahiko wouldn't be back yet anyway."

"Sure Kaoru, whatever you want," Kenshin whispered.

Kaoru finally noticed that Kenshin called her simply Kaoru but didn't mention it. She didn't want to call his attention about this slip.

They had been like that for a while, Kaoru leaning her head on Kenshin' s shoulder, watching the tranquil river, letting the wind's cold breeze engulf them.

Out of nowhere, Kenshin whispered lovingly " I love you Kaoru." Kenshin felt her slightly lifted her head off his shoulder and stiffen for a while before relaxing again.

Kenshin also felt her smile and the happiness that she exuded when she replied, "I love you too, Kenshin."

Kenshin sighed then placed his arm around Kaoru's waist and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead before leaning his head atop hers, closing his eyes as well, savoring the moment. Their moment.

And in that moment, Kenshin was the happiest man in the world.

--OWARI—

P.S. I hope I spelled Oibore's name correctly. For those who have not read the manga yet, Oibore is Tomoe's father. Please review and tell me whatcha think?


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